After a wildly successful first go as host of the Oscars, Conan O’Brien might find himself being invited back next year.
Hosting the Academy Awards is a notoriously thankless job. It’s endless hours culminating in three-plus hours knowing that any jokes you make could easily offend the fragile egos of Hollywood’s elites. But the reception for Conan O’Brien as host of this year’s Oscars has been overwhelmingly positive, the comedian bringing his trademark humor (see: sandworm, Dune) that marked him as one of the most effortless newcomers since maybe Hugh Jackman back in 2009. So will he come back or will he live his dreams of opening a bed and breakfast in Orlando?
As it turns out, if the suits get their way, Conan will 100% be back to host the Oscars. According to Rob Mills, who serves as exec VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment for Walt Disney TV, “Conan absolutely nailed it. It was this sense memory of 30 years of not only him in late night, but when he would host the Emmys and all the stuff he’s done. This was almost like Conan’s greatest hits. You had a little bit of everything: An incredibly funny monologue that had the hallmarks of what Conan does: silliness, self-deprecation, jokes that are funny — and then 20 minutes later you realize they’re really funny.” He added, “[Returning is] really up to Conan, but I know we would love to have him back. I don’t know if this counts as an official offer, but I really hope he wants to come back. It was a joy and a privilege, and probably the only sort of methadone I could have for not being able to do the show with Jimmy Kimmel.”
Obviously we won’t know for quite some time (they are typically announced in the preceding fall), but Conan O’Brien could work as a mainstay to host the Oscars. I say let him do it for the 98th and 99th, and then move over so Billy Crystal can return for the 100th Academy Awards.
The 97th Academy Awards saw Anora taking home five Oscars, including four for writer/director/producer/editor Sean Baker. Other films that won multiple statues were The Brutalist with three and Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez and Wicked all landing a pair.
What was your favorite bit from Conan O’Brien’s first go at hosting the Oscars? Share your pick with us in the comments section below!
